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Nutr Res Pract.  2014 Dec;8(6):613-617. 10.4162/nrp.2014.8.6.613.

Anti-adipogenic effect of mulberry leaf ethanol extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Food and Nutrition and Human Ecology Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Jeonnam 500-757, Korea.
  • 2Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea. ylim@khu.ac.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Adipogenesis is part of the cell differentiation process in which undifferentiated fibroblasts (pre-adipocytes) become mature adipocytes with the accumulation of lipid droplets and subsequent cell morphological changes. Several transcription factors and food components have been suggested to be involved in adipogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine whether mulberry leaf ethanol extract (MLEE) affects adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
MATERIALS/METHODS
The 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with different doses of MLEE for 8 days starting 2 days post-confluence. Cell viability, fat accumulation, and adipogenesis-related factors including CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), PPARgamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1alpha), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and adiponectin were analyzed.
RESULTS
Results showed that MLEE treatments at 10, 25, 50, and 100 microg/ml had no effect on cell morphology and viability. Without evident toxicity, all MLEE treated cells had lower fat accumulation compared with control as shown by lower absorbances of Oil Red O stain. MLEE at 50 and 100 microg/ml significantly reduced protein levels of PPARgamma, PGC-1alpha, FAS, and adiponectin in differentiated adipocytes. Furthermore, protein level of C/EBPalpha was significantly decreased by the treatment of 100 microg/ml MLEE.
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that MLEE treatment has an anti-adipogenic effect in differentiated adipocytes without toxicity, suggesting its potential as an anti-obesity therapeutic.

Keyword

Adipocytes; adipogenesis; anti-obesity; mulberry leaf extract

MeSH Terms

Adipocytes*
Adipogenesis
Adiponectin
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
Cell Differentiation
Cell Survival
Ethanol*
Fibroblasts
Morus*
PPAR gamma
Transcription Factors
Adiponectin
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
Ethanol
PPAR gamma
Transcription Factors
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